Technology, Scalability, Metadata (or not) Research Challenges for Digital Libraries Carl Lagoze Cornell Information Science

Paradigm Mapping (or distorting!) Suppliers (Publishers) Intermediaries (Librarians) Consumers

Assumptions Clear definition of roles Feedback mechanisms are limited, well-defined, and mediated based on role Scale is an issue but not THE issue Control is important Collection boundaries are well-defined and distinct Users are mainly humans Expertise is proprietary

…Towards a participatory information environment Shared Information Context Shared Information Context Producers Consumers Experts Novices Professionals

Assumptions Roles are fluid and ambiguous Scale is THE issue Anarchy is encouraged, control and order are overlaid Collection boundaries are fluid Machines and humans are users Everyone is a potential expert

NSDL Phase I

Questioning Educational Impact Is access to resources the resources the solution? –The Web? –Google? What about quality? –Single measures? –Amazon, Epinions? How does it match current norms? –Chat? –Blogs? –Smart Mobs?

NSDL as it might be?

So what does this have to do with metadata? Review original (DC) metadata assumptions –Metadata is essential for good resource discovery –“Jane Sixpack” could create metadata Account for current realities –2003 is not 1994 –Jane Sixpack and her librarian friends create bad metadata –Google, etc. keeps getting better Rethink the role of metadata – not for discovery but refinement, etc.?

Metadata Triage